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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Russia, Ukraine holding talks in Turkiye after launching major attacks
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Turkiye on Monday (June 2, 2025) for the second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, officials said. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, headed the Kremlin team, Russian state media reported. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the talks at the city's Ciragan Palace and gave an opening speech to mark their start. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. Ukraine said Sunday (June 1, 2025) it launched a spectacular surprise attack on four Russian airbases thousands of kilometres apart, destroying more than 40 warplanes. The raid was unprecedented in its scope and geographic reach, targeting bases in Russia's Arctic, Siberia and Far East more than 7,000km from Ukraine. The head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasyl Maliuk, who led the planning of the operation, said its success was 'a major slap in the face for Russia's military power.' He said the drones struck simultaneously in three time zones and the complex logistics took over a year and a half to prepare. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a 'brilliant operation.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday (June 1, 2025) fired the biggest number of drones — 472 — at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defences. That was part of a recently escalating campaign of strikes in civilian areas of Ukraine. U.S.-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have so far failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Sunday (June 1, 2025) that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' The relentless fighting has frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump's goal of bringing about a quick end to the war. A week ago, he expressed impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night. Trump said on social media that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Senior officials in both countries have indicated the two sides remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 16, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. Ukraine was triumphant after targeting distant Russian air bases. The official Russian response was muted, with the attack getting little coverage on the state-controlled television. Russia-1 TV channel on Sunday evening spent for a little over a minute on it with a brief Ministry of Defence's statement read out before images shifted to Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. Mr Zelenskyy said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield. 'Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what will push it toward diplomacy,' he said at a summit Monday (June 1, 2025) in Vilnius, Lithuania with leaders from the Nordic nations and countries on NATO's eastern flank. Ukraine has occasionally struck air bases hosting Russia's nuclear capable strategic bombers since early in the war, prompting the Russian air force to redeploy most of them to the regions farther from the front line. Because Sunday's (May 31, 2025) drones were launched from trucks close to the bases targeted in five Russian regions, military defences had virtually no time to prepare for them. Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks but the large size of the planes makes that a challenging task. The attacks were 'a big blow to Russian strategic airpower' and exposed significant vulnerabilities in Moscow's military capabilities, according to Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 'This is hard to underestimate,' Mr O'Brien wrote in an analysis. Mr Zelenskyy said that 'if the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed' against Russia. International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday (June 2, 2025) while oil prices surged. Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian forces shelled Ukraine's southern Kherson region, killing three people and injuring 19 others, including two children, regional officials said Monday (June 2, 2025). Also, a missile strike and shelling around the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people and injured nine others, officials said. Russian air defences downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defence Ministry said Monday (June 2, 2025). Ukrainian air defences damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ukraine and Russia teams gather in Turkey for peace talks after launching major attacks
ISTANBUL (AP) — Delegations from Russia and Ukraine were to meet in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend. Ukraine said Sunday it launched a spectacular surprise attack on four Russian airbases thousands of kilometers (miles) apart, destroying more than 40 warplanes. The raid was unprecedented in its scope and geographic reach, targeting bases in Russia's Arctic, Siberia and Far East more than 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) from Ukraine. The head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasyl Maliuk, who led the planning of the operation, said its success was 'a major slap in the face for Russia's military power.' He said the drones struck simultaneously in three time zones and the complex logistics took over a year and a half to prepare. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a 'brilliant operation.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday fired the biggest number of drones — 472 — at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. That was part of a recently escalating campaign of strikes in civilian areas of Ukraine. Hopes not high for Istanbul talks Amid the escalation in fighting, the talks in Istanbul appeared unlikely to make much progress. U.S.-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have so far failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' The relentless fighting has frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump's goal of bringing about a quick end to the war. A week ago, he expressed impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night. Trump said on social media that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Senior officials in both countries have indicated the two sides remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 16, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. Ukraine upbeat after strikes on air bases Ukraine was triumphant after targeting distant Russian air bases. The official Russian response was muted, with the attack getting little coverage on the state-controlled television. Russia-1 TV channel on Sunday evening spent for a little over a minute on it with a brief Ministry of Defense' statement read out before images shifted to Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. Zelenskyy said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield. 'Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what will push it toward diplomacy,' he said at a summit Monday in Vilnius, Lithuania with leaders from the Nordic nations and countries on NATO's eastern flank. Ukraine has occasionally struck air bases hosting Russia's nuclear capable strategic bombers since early in the war, prompting the Russian air force to redeploy most of them to the regions farther from the front line. Because Sunday's drones were launched from trucks close to the bases targeted in five Russian regions, military defenses had virtually no time to prepare for them. Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks, but the large size of the planes makes that a challenging task. The attacks were 'a big blow to Russian strategic airpower' and exposed significant vulnerabilities in Moscow's military capabilities, according to Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 'This is hard to underestimate,' O'Brien wrote in an analysis. Once again, eyes turn to Istanbul Zelenskyy said that 'if the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed' against Russia. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in place, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived the previous evening, Russian state media reported. Officials said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would chair the talks, with officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged. Front-line fighting and shelling grinds on Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian forces shelled Ukraine's southern Kherson region, killing three people and injuring 19 others, including two children, regional officials said Monday. Also, a missile strike and shelling around the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people and injured nine others, officials said. Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. ___ Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. An earlier version of this story was corrected to show that the first round of talks took place on May 16, not May 17. ___ Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey; Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Ukraine and Russia teams gather in Turkey for peace talks after launching major attacks
ISTANBUL (AP) — Delegations from Russia and Ukraine were to meet in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend. Ukraine said Sunday it launched a spectacular surprise attack on four Russian airbases thousands of kilometers (miles) apart, destroying more than 40 warplanes. The raid was unprecedented in its scope and geographic reach, targeting bases in Russia's Arctic, Siberia and Far East more than 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) from Ukraine. The head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasyl Maliuk, who led the planning of the operation, said its success was 'a major slap in the face for Russia's military power.' He said the drones struck simultaneously in three time zones and the complex logistics took over a year and a half to prepare. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a 'brilliant operation.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday fired the biggest number of drones — 472 — at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. That was part of a recently escalating campaign of strikes in civilian areas of Ukraine. Hopes not high for Istanbul talks Amid the escalation in fighting, the talks in Istanbul appeared unlikely to make much progress. U.S.-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have so far failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' The relentless fighting has frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump's goal of bringing about a quick end to the war . A week ago, he expressed impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night. Trump said on social media that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Senior officials in both countries have indicated the two sides remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 16, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough . Ukraine upbeat after strikes on air bases Ukraine was triumphant after targeting distant Russian air bases. The official Russian response was muted, with the attack getting little coverage on the state-controlled television. Russia-1 TV channel on Sunday evening spent for a little over a minute on it with a brief Ministry of Defense' statement read out before images shifted to Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. Zelenskyy said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield. 'Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what will push it toward diplomacy,' he said at a summit Monday in Vilnius, Lithuania with leaders from the Nordic nations and countries on NATO's eastern flank. Ukraine has occasionally struck air bases hosting Russia's nuclear capable strategic bombers since early in the war, prompting the Russian air force to redeploy most of them to the regions farther from the front line. Because Sunday's drones were launched from trucks close to the bases targeted in five Russian regions, military defenses had virtually no time to prepare for them. Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks, but the large size of the planes makes that a challenging task. The attacks were 'a big blow to Russian strategic airpower' and exposed significant vulnerabilities in Moscow's military capabilities, according to Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 'This is hard to underestimate,' O'Brien wrote in an analysis. Once again, eyes turn to Istanbul Zelenskyy said that 'if the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed' against Russia. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in place, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived the previous evening, Russian state media reported. Officials said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would chair the talks, with officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged . Front-line fighting and shelling grinds on Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian forces shelled Ukraine's southern Kherson region, killing three people and injuring 19 others, including two children, regional officials said Monday. Also, a missile strike and shelling around the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people and injured nine others, officials said. Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. ___ An earlier version of this story was corrected to show that the first round of talks took place on May 16, not May 17. ___ Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey; Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Ukraine and Russia teams gather in Turkey for peace talks after launching major attacks
Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a 'brilliant operation.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday fired the biggest number of drones — 472 — at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. That was part of a recently escalating campaign of strikes in civilian areas of Ukraine. Hopes not high for Istanbul talks Amid the escalation in fighting, the talks in Istanbul appeared unlikely to make much progress. US-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have so far failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' Advertisement The relentless fighting has frustrated US President Trump's goal of bringing about a quick end to the war. A week ago, he expressed impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night. Trump said on social media that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Senior officials in both countries have indicated the two sides remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 16, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. Ukraine upbeat after strikes on air bases Ukraine was triumphant after targeting distant Russian air bases. The official Russian response was muted, with the attack getting little coverage on the state-controlled television. Russia-1 TV channel on Sunday evening spent for a little over a minute on it with a brief Ministry of Defense' statement read out before images shifted to Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. Zelensky said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield. 'Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what will push it toward diplomacy,' he said at a summit Monday in Vilnius, Lithuania with leaders from the Nordic nations and countries on NATO's eastern flank. Ukraine has occasionally struck air bases hosting Russia's nuclear capable strategic bombers since early in the war, prompting the Russian air force to redeploy most of them to the regions farther from the front line. Advertisement Because Sunday's drones were launched from trucks close to the bases targeted in five Russian regions, military defenses had virtually no time to prepare for them. Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks, but the large size of the planes makes that a challenging task. The attacks were 'a big blow to Russian strategic airpower' and exposed significant vulnerabilities in Moscow's military capabilities, according to Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 'This is hard to underestimate,' O'Brien wrote in an analysis. Once again, eyes turn to Istanbul Zelensky said that 'if the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed' against Russia. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in place, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived the previous evening, Russian state media reported. Officials said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would chair the talks, with officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged. Front-line fighting and shelling grinds on Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 620-mile front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian forces shelled Ukraine's southern Kherson region, killing three people and injuring 19 others, including two children, regional officials said Monday. Also, a missile strike and shelling around the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people and injured nine others, officials said. Advertisement Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. ___ Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey; Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Egypt Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Top Kremlin aide says Trump ‘not sufficiently informed' about Ukraine after US president lashes out at Putin
CNN — A top Kremlin aide has accused A top Kremlin aide has accused Donald Trump of being 'not sufficiently informed' about the situation in Ukraine after the US president said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was 'playing with fire.' Putin aide Yury Ushakov was reacting to Trump's Truth Social post on Tuesday, in which the president said: 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!' Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to Washington who was part of the negotiating team that Moscow sent to Saudi Arabia to meet US officials earlier this year, then questioned the accuracy of the information Trump receives. 'Trump says a lot of things. Naturally, we read and monitor all of this. But in many ways, we have come to the conclusion that Trump is not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation,' Ushakov told Russian state TV channel Russia-1. Ushakov said that Trump appeared to be unaware of what he called 'the increasingly frequent massive terrorist attacks Ukraine is carrying out against peaceful Russian cities,' and suggested Trump only sees Russia's strikes, reiterating Moscow's false claim that it is 'striking exclusively at military infrastructure or the military-industrial complex.' Ushakov's remark – made to a favored Kremlin correspondent – came just after Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Trump statements during a call with reporters. Far from striking only military targets, Russia has recently intensified its aerial campaign against civilian targets in Ukrainian cities. Dozens of civilians have been killed by Russian drone and missile strikes against residential areas in the past few weeks. According to a tally compiled by CNN using Ukrainian Air Force data, four of the five largest drone attacks launched by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale war all came over the past two weeks. At least 14 civilians, including three children from one family, were killed in Russian air attacks over the weekend. The funeral for the three siblings – 8-year-old Stanislav Martynyuk, his sister Tamara, 12, and Roman, 17 – was held in their hometown of Korostyshiv in central Ukraine on Wednesday. Hundreds of people, many in tears, filled the town square as their three white coffins were brought in. A local music school, where the trio studied, rang the 'last bell' for them, a nod to the traditional long bell sounded for the graduating class at the end of their last school year. After Russia launched the attack that killed the Martynyuk children, its largest ever aerial assault on Ukraine, Trump accused the Russian leader of having gone 'absolutely CRAZY.' 'I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,' Trump posted on Truth Social. The spat between Trump and Moscow escalated on Tuesday when the former Russian president and prime minister-turned-security-official Dmitry Medvedev responded to Trump's threat by saying: 'I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!' Medvedev served as the head of state when Putin had to step down to become prime minister due to a constitutional limit on the number of presidential terms one can serve – a limit that has since been lifted, guaranteeing the possibility that Putin can be president for life. As the former prime minister and president of Russia, Medvedev was once among the most influential Russian officials, but he has become an increasingly fringe figure in recent years, known mostly for social media outpourings of hate and propaganda. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg called Medvedev's comments 'reckless.' 'Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment,' he said on X, adding that the United States is still waiting for Russia's ceasefire proposal.
